TORI SHORT STORY 12 — FRUSTRATION
by ShadowBat48
Summary: Tori is struggling to learn restraint when fighting and is having difficulty pulling back on her blows and her anger. Bruce is there to offer some insight as to how to prevent more bloodshed by her hand.


A/N: Okay, so the recent short stories haven't been getting that much love. So I'm going to ask, do you guys still want there to be short stories? I would really like to know so PM me or write your response as a review.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

TORI SHORT STORY #12 — FRUSTRATION

Tori leapt into the air, striking downwards with her short sword. The world around her was a whirl of colors as she slashed and stabbed and whirled around the criminals she was fighting. Their faces were shadowed, there was no way to identify them if they got away…of course that implied Tori was going to let them get away. She ducked under the knife swipe one of them threw at her and slammed the hilt into his nose and using his leg to throw herself into a back flip to dodge the attack of his fellow friend. She landed behind him and rolled out of the third guy's kick. Springing to her feet she flew into overdrive. Not thinking, just doing. Adrenaline high in her veins she ceased all thought other than making these degenerates pay for what they had done. It didn't matter what they had attempted before Tori fought them, they were all going to be punished.

Tori sprung at them, slashing, swiping, hitting and kicking in a furious onslaught of rage and strength. All control gone from her mind and movements. She acted on impulse and muscle memory. Tori stabbed one guy in the chest, the other she slashed in the leg to slow him down while throwing her dagger into the throat of the third. The fourth guy, who had been hanging back away from the fighting tried to grab her, but she just kicked him in the stomach which sent him sprawling to the ground while the fourth guy hobbled around, keeping his weight on his good leg. Tori ran at him, his face still hidden from her, and slashed with her short sword, severing his head from his body. She then turned to the last guy, still on the ground, heaving for air because of her kick. Her blood was boiling in hot rage, she didn't even know why she was so angry. Tori didn't even know what these men had been doing and for some reason…that fact didn't bother her or dissuade her from her anger. Frankly she didn't care what they had done.

The guy finally got to his feet, Tori smirked at him. She had to admire his determination to beat her. Tori dropped her weapons and flexed her wrists to release her metallic claws before running at him and leaping on him. She slashed at him, tore at his chest with fevered ferocity until a high pitched trilling reached her ears at a painful frequency. She stopped what she was doing, wondering what that noise was until it peaked to a different pitch, a very painful pitch and she clapped her hands over her ears crying out in shock and pain.

Tori fell back on her heels, hands still to her ears as the trilling sound stopped. She blinked her eyes a few times and released her head before turning to glare at the now open door of the simulation room where Bruce was standing looking extremely angry holding a dog whistle. Tori stood up so fast she was sure she blurred slightly at the edges,

"Did you just use a dog whistle on me?" she spat out, anger causing her hands to form fists,

"I've been calling your name for the past two minutes, you weren't responding so I used the only thing I knew would get your attention,"

"Calling my name—?" Tori said, frowning, "Why—," she stopped the question as she glanced around the room. The robots she'd been fighting were scrap metal parts. One beheaded, one with a huge hole in his chest, another with a hole in its neck and the last with its chest cavity torn up into shreds. Tori stared at the mess she made before letting out a yell of anger and frustration. She tore off her gloves and threw them onto the ground,

"This isn't _working_ ," she snapped, "Every single time no matter what scenario this happens. I lose control and just kill everyone. I destroy things, I hurt people severely. This isn't working Bruce," Bruce didn't say anything, just looked over the sparking robot parts with a thoughtful look on his face. They had been at this for weeks; trying to reeducate Tori in the ways of fighting fairly and with restraint. It hadn't been going well. No matter what she did, no matter what they tried, she always ended up hurting people…even if they were really robots…she tore them apart,

"Why are you so angry?" Bruce asked, walking into the room fully. Tori let out a sigh before shrugging,

"I don't know. I just am," she said, "I don't even remember being this vicious when I killed for the Court…though that whole time period is foggy. I wasn't myself and ever since I decided not to be the Talon Assassin the Court wanted, it's almost been blocked from my memory,"

"What _do_ you remember?" Bruce asked,

"Blood. Lots of it," Tori murmured, "I was a monster. Just what they trained me to be. A cold, dispassionate and void of emotion monster. I didn't even consider whether what I was doing was right or not. I just did what they told me to do," Tori sat back down, drawing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them,

"Are you angry because of that?" Bruce asked,

"Of course I'm angry they made me kill. I'm angry about almost everything that happened,"

"Are you angry you're alive?" Tori looked at him eyes narrowed,

"No. Why the hell would you even ask that?"

"Then you're not angry at everything," Bruce said, "Are you angry at yourself for saving your brother from the Court?"

"No,"

"What about decreasing the Court's Talons on Founders' Island?"

"No,"

"Freeing the children?"

"Freeing them only to lose them," Tori scoffed, "Why are you asking me these things,"

"I'm trying to understand why you are angry,"

"I don't need you to understand me, I just need you to teach me to control myself," Bruce looked down at her from where he stood directly in front of her and frowned,

"Why do you want to learn so badly? You said you didn't want to become a vigilante. What changed?"

"Didn't you say I shouldn't be afraid of myself?"

"I never said you have to become a vigilante. You could learn through a different means not to fear yourself, there's never only one option when trying to redeem and understand yourself,"

"Are you saying this because I'll never learn control…because I'll forever be a killer?" Tori asked, her heart sinking at the thought,

"No. I'm saying this because you all of a sudden wanted to be a vigilante again," Bruce said with a small smile before frowning again, "Is that what you're afraid of…is that what you're angry about?"

"I've always wanted to help. When I…when I killed those people, I truly thought I was doing the right thing. They were corrupt people, people who'd endangered others and planned to turn Gotham into their own little playground with political and financial power. They were the scientists who ruined my life, as well as others' lives and killed so many people. Deep down I knew that killing them wasn't the right solution…but at the same time I was punishing them for the crimes they committed,"

"We're not executioners," Bruce said, somewhat sternly,

"Not anymore," Tori agreed, nodding stiffly, "Well...some more than others," she added, looking at the robots again,

"You never answered my question," Tori took a deep breath,

"I'm afraid of never being who I once was. I'm afraid I won't learn to control myself and I'm angry because I think I can't be who I was…I'm angry because I will always be that monster. Deep deep down where things can never change, I will always be that monster,"

"Who told you that?" Bruce asked,

"What do you mean?" Tori asked, her mind flashing back to Founders' Island for an instant,

"Who said that nothing changes? You changed your mind didn't you? You chose to take this path and stop being the assassin you were trained to be, so I'm asking you, who said you could never change?"

"What does this have to do with what happened here?" Tori asked, nodding to the still sparking androids,  
"If I find out what is causing such emotional unbalance that is causing you to lose control of yourself, it'll be ten times easier to help you," Bruce said, "Who told you that you can never change?" Tori bit her lip, closing her eyes before saying,

" _'Even though you think you have won, you cannot change who you are in your bones. You will kill again because that is your nature now, nothing will change that.'_ " Tori said,

"Who said that?"

"William Cobb," Tori said,

"Well he lied,"

"Really? He lied?" Tori snarked rolling her eyes, "I seem to be missing the evidence you see from this pile of scrap metal," she snapped, gesturing to the metal carcasses,

"They're robots,"

"In the simulation they were people," Tori said,

"Yes, but you can change that. You can make that not happen. What you need to do is figure out the real center of your anger. Once you do that you need to find an anchor. Find something to center yourself so that your anger isn't what drives you or controls your actions,"

"You're just saying that. It's not possible. I'll just forever be this killer," Tori replied shaking her head, "I desecrated that fourth guy and I chopped the first guy's head off,"

"Okay, yes, that was mindless and violent but that was only when you completely lost yourself, when you gave into your anger. Which brings us back to my first question…what are you angry at?"

"I already told you. I don't know! I just am, and it's just an impulse now…like how killing is still an impulse for me. I can't control it, it controls me,"

"That's not true. There's a reason, you just don't want to acknowledge it. You don't want to tell me. But you can trust me, I can help you stop this," Tori bit her lip and looked away from Bruce only to gaze upon the dismantled machines. She let out a frustrated hiss before looking back at Bruce,

"I'm angry at myself. I'm angry for being like this, I'm angry because I _chose_ to become a Talon. I'm angry because it was my decision even though I was dying and I needed to become a Talon to save Cameron. I hate what I've become, and overall I'm angry at the Court for ever forcing me into this situation," she didn't add that she was angry at William for torturing her, but that goes without saying. Bruce nodded as if he expected this answer,

"'To one's enemies: "I hate myself more than you ever could,'" he quoted, "Now, what do you want? Vengeance or justice?"

"Is that really a question? You know what I want,"

"Do I?" Bruce asked, nodding his head towards the robots, "that doesn't look like the work of someone who wants justice,"

"I don't want revenge. I really don't. I want people to get justice, I want the criminals to get what they deserve…but internally, I guess I don't want justice. My training was aimed toward vengeance and violence and an eye for an eye type of crusade," Tori said, "It's wired into me. It's hopeless,"

"It's not. Remind yourself. You are strong and powerful. Every time you feel yourself slip to what you have been trained to do, remind yourself what you truly want. Remember: Justice, not vengeance. Say over and over again to yourself and focus on something that will keep you calm,"

"I-I Think I can do that," Tori said uncertainly,

"I know you can, and you will. You have a good heart and good intentions, the only thing that's in your way is yourself,"

"Okay. I'll try," Tori said, letting out a huff of a breath, "Are we done for today?"

"Yes, we're done for the day. But I expect improvement tomorrow. I don't want any lethal strikes and I want you to be completely in control and centered. I know you can do it, you are not a Talon that William believes to just be a killer. You're more than that,"

"Okay Mr. Inspirational Speaker," Tori said rolling her eyes and getting to her feet. She turned to leave before stopping herself, "Oh, can I see the whistle?" she asked, facing Bruce again. With a questioning look he tossed her the metal whistle. Tori in turn, crumpled it in her hand before tossing it back to him,

" _Never_ use that on me again. _Ever_." She said giving him a deadly glare before leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

* * *

A/N: I really had you going there in the first few paragraphs, thinking that Tori was actually killing people! Lol!

I coined that mantra from the Batman Vs. Robin movie and the Bad Blood movie, I thought that it might be an interesting thing for Tori to do to calm herself when she gets overly angry or violent. What do you guys think? And please answer the question! In other words: REVIEW!

The quote was from: Alain de Botton

Next chapter of Things to Resolve on Monday and another short story next Tuesday.


End file.
